Save Article

Shinzo Abe’s Chance to Recast Asian Security

When the prime minister addresses the U.S. Congress this month, he should take the opportunity to spell out Japan’s vision for the Asian-Pacific community.

By

Gerald Curtis

April 9, 2015 12:53 p.m. ET

When Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe travels to Washington at the end of this month, he’s sure to bring with him an upbeat message about the successes of Abenomics and how he intends to have Japan make a “proactive contribution to peace.” But Americans should listen carefully to what he has to say about national security. Mr. Abe is giving Japan’s foreign policy its most extensive face-lift since Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida defined the country’s foreign policy shortly after World War II.